Straight from the Headlines! What Everyone was Talking About This Week

On Sunday 3rd of June, 2012, a fatal plane crash in the country took away the lives of 153 passangers aboard the Dana Air plane and several others in their homes where the plane crashed on. On the same day, a suicide bomber drove into a church in Bauchi state and detonated some explosives killing about 15 people and injuring many others. And just as Nigerians are getting over the shock of the sad incidents, a suicide bomber detonated the explosives in his car, killing yet to be confirmed number of people at the police headquarters in Maiduguri, Borno state today, Friday 8th June, 2012.

Indeed a sad week.

I pray for the families of those that have lost their loved ones at this terrible time. May God grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.

Here’s a recap of some of the stories that made headlines across the country this week.

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Governor Babatunde Fashola has rescued and taken custody of three kids whose parents have been missing since the DANA Air aircraft crashed into their Iju-Ishaga neighbourhood at Iju, Agege, a Lagos suburb, on Sunday. The homeless children; Joel Okechukwu (11), Chisom Okechukwu (9) and Esther Okechukwu, whose age could not be immediately ascertained, were wandering around when they were spotted and rescued by the governor during his visit to the site on Monday, June 4th 2012. The children, who were taken to the Goverment House, Ikeja, were sent on errands by their parents, Mr Jeremiah Okechukwu and Mrs Josephine Okechukwu, when the aircraft hit their home and reduced it to a rubble. The emergency response officials working on the crash site as at Monday had yet to ascertain whether the couple were dead or still trapped in the debris.

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President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday, June 4th 2012 shed tears during his visit to the site where a Dana plane crashed on Sunday evening, killing everyone on board in Lagos. The president promised a thorough investigation into the incidence that led to the crash. “We have been working very hard to improve aviation in this country,” Mr Jonathan said. “This particular incident is a major setback for us … I will make sure that this will not repeat itself in the country.” More than 153 people were killed when the domestic passenger plane travelling from Abuja, crashed into a heavily populated area, Iju Agege, Lagos around 3:45pm on Sunday.

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The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed the suspension of the operating license of Dana Airline, the operator of the MD 83 jetliner that crashed in Lagos on Sunday killing all 153 passengers on board. The government said it took the decision to allow for a free and unfettered investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash of flight #992 in Iju area of Lagos. The suspension of Dana Air’s operating licence came few hours after a Nigeria senator moved a motion requesting the authorities to ground Dana’s air fleet.

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Llyods of London, the group insurer of Dana Airlines, said that it would pay adequate compensation to the families of the victims of last Sunday’s air crash at Iju-Ishaga, a Lagos suburb. Mr Yomi Oshinkoya, the Lloyds Correspondent, disclosed this on Wednesday 6th of June at a joint news conference addressed by officials of the Lagos State government and Dana Airline. The Dana plane crash resulted in the death of 153 passengers on board and six others on ground, while property, running into millions of naira, were destroyed. Oshinkoya said that compensations would be paid to the victims families, according to aviation standards, adding that people should not be afraid that the accident occurred in Nigeria. He assured all the families of the victims that the airline was well insured and would live up to its liability bidding in this regard. “The international law and standards stipulate that the sum of 30,000 dollars (N4.6 million) must be paid to each of the victims’ family within the first 30 days of the accident, as initial payment. A sealing of 100,000 dollars (N15 million) should be paid to the victims family after they must have completed all the requirements expected of them by the law,’’ Oshinkoya said.

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The collapse of the 50-year-old Abakpa-Nike Bridge in Enugu State capital on Wednesday night followed by an intense rainfall on Thursday caused heavy traffic build up in the city. Residents of the densely populated Abakpa-Nike who passed through the bridge late Wednesday evening woke up Thursday morning to discover to their that the bridge had collapsed, cutting them off from other parts of the city. Mindful of the severe hardship which the residents would encounter on account of the incident, Governor Sullivan Chime, who returned from a trip to Abuja yesterday drove straight to the scene and quickly mobilized the Arab Contractors to commence repair work on the bridge, which one of the embarkments was washed away by flood. The state government, according to the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, is determined to get the bridge repaired without delay hence the quick mobilization of the construction firm to the site yesterday.

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The Boko Haram sect has claimed responsibility for the murder of a former Deputy Inspector-General of Police, DIG Abubakar Saleh Ningi, in Kano on Tuesday June 5th, 2012. The retired DIG, his driver and a police orderly were shot dead by two gunmen on a motorcycle along Sauna Kawagi Road in Kano metropolis on his way from his farm. The sect said in a statement written in Hausa on Thursday in Maiduguri that it was happy to have murdered the top retired police officer. According to the transcript of the statement sent to media houses late Wednesday, the sect bragged that very soon all top government officials would be targeted the same way as they will have no hiding place. “Yesterday (Tuesday), God gave us victory and we succeeded in killing a former DIG (deputy inspector general)… in Kano city,” the sect said in the email. The group also vowed to carry out more of such killings of senior government officials.

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A bomb blast at the entrance of the police headquarters of Borno state killed a number of people mostly police, on Friday 8th June, 2012. A suspected suicide bomber who could not pass the gate of the police headquarters detonated the explosives in his car, killing a yet to be confirmed number of people. The explosion shattered windows at the police headquarters building along the Damaturu road, opposite Government Secondary school. Several vehicles within the police headquarters building and outside were damaged. “Many people, mostly members of the police which include men and women were killed in the explosion,” an eyewitness Ali Alhaji told Reuters. A police officer at the scene, who could not be named, also confirmed the bomb blast, saying five police vans had been loaded with dead bodies.

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3 brothers, Chinemerem (5), Okechukwu (4) and Nzube (2) have been declared missing. Their driver, Godwin picked them up from their school ABC Academy Utako Abuja around 3:30pm yesterday June 7th in a new Toyota Avensis metallic colour (without plate number) and disappeared with them. They have not been found. Anybody that has seen or heard anything about their where about should report to the nearest police station.

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How do you feel about the news that made headlines in the country this week? What other stuff happened that you would like to share?

Have a great weekend!

About Adeola Adeyemo

Adeola Adeyemo is a graduate of Industrial Relations and Personnel Management from University of Lagos. However, her passion is writing and she worked as a reporter with NEXT Newspaper. She believes that anything can be written about; anything can be a story depending on the angle it is seen from and the writer's imagination. When she is not writing news or feature articles, she slips into her fantasies and creates interesting fiction pieces. She blogs at www.deolascope.blogspot.com

Jonathan shedding tears? The photo-op at this devastating event is kinda bothersome. Ground all these flights and make airlines accountable to prevent these tragic events. Is his private jet an average of 20yrs? No, so why must Nigerian citizens’ lives be endangered by flying planes that are purchased from western countries who have discarded them for newer, safer models and sold them to African countries? Enough is enough, tears are of no use, please this man should act!

I dislike comment like yours because you sound as though this was his doing. Just as you as citizen of Nigeria, is mourning those that passed, he too has the right to, because he is a president does not deprive him of that right so please no insults. Its easy for people to sit in front of their computers and make claims yet whenever another “ordinary citizen” goes into power they do more than their predecessors. This is not GEJ’s problem, this is Nigerians problem so stop with the blame game and do your part in your little corner! How was Nigeria 2years ago, was it any better than it is today? If your answer is truly yes, then the president is doing a terrible job, but if your answer is no, then you need to let the man do his job, he has only been in power for a year and 4month’s to be exact while Nigerians have been in this hell of a condition for over 40years so give the man a break. people forget that Rome was not built in a day, you can’t erase the abuse both the govt. officials and the common Nigerian citizen has leveled on this nation in just a year, (not even if you has a magic wand). People the situation Nigeria is currently in took years in the make and it will take year in changing as well. GEJ is not God so either you show support and let the man do his job, or just stop talking trash. Most of you that talk about GEJ will do 10x worse if given the opportunity to rule Nigeria for 1day!

well spoken. you are right. we need to do our own part to make nigeria a better place. stop the corruption! stop the greed! report crime when you see it! do not take bribe! do not give bribe. do your part and let the government do its part. we can be better. we can start change. it is so sad to read all these bad news. God bless Nigeria. let us start speaking positive things in this country. dont say words like nigeria is doomed. there is power in the tongue. instead lets pray for nigeria. and lets speak well of nigeria. Nigeria is blessed, the people are blessed. things will get better. we will become a better nation in Jesus name Amen! God console the families and by God’s grace the kids who were kidnapped will be found ALIVE! and boko haram will be found and cleared from this country! AMEN! enough is enough!

Very sad week…I pray we as a Nation pick the lessons from the week’s happenings and make a resolve to become better people…take our collective responsibility as a Nation more seriously and stop all this chase for wealth at the expense of innocent lives! I pray also for the families and friends of the deceased…that the new week will usher in new hope and bring smiles to their faces despite the storm they are going through…It is well!

its always bad news..it neve gets better than this…it only gets worse..Jesus foretold that in the last days this is what would happen..2nd Timothy 3:1-6..people would have no natural affection…these BH sect sef..
lets all just pray for Gods Kingdom to come

Lord have mercy! Whao!!!!!! This is so Bad……. What can one say…….. God almighty have mercy we need u like never before in This Nation. House That lack thress square meal without disaster is better than the one that have each meal with head of cow with tragedy in their house everyday. All we can hope nd pray for is that God should resort back the peace nd harmony.

It’s so sad, but a big shame on Nigeria that at this day and time Indians will run an airline filled with faulty aircrafts and everyone keeps quite because they have all sold their conscience to bribery and when innocent people die they start acting drama.Give them a few weeks dana airlines lincense will be given back and we are back to business as usual. why will I fly 24hrs to get to my country to be killed in a 45 minutes flight?I will rather stay where I am at least am sure if any such thing does happen they will try their best as humans and live the rest for God.

NK i agree with u,100% as its not GEJ fault,we need to report this cases to God and not blame the man.he is only a man,mere mortal.God is the one who can help us at this time so pls in ur own little coener say a prayer for NIG, if we all do this consistently we will see results cos our God answers prayers

Just when i was thinking we are setteling down a bit, another blow hits my beloved nation,words cant describe how sad i am and heartbroken…May God give all the families who have been affected by this unfortunate accident the heart to bear thier loss…God be with you all, and for the souls that passed on Rest in peace